


Give and Take (and take)

by sciencebluefeelings



Series: Baby Spock Prime AU [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, M/M, Past Underage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21784612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sciencebluefeelings/pseuds/sciencebluefeelings
Summary: Jim finally introduces young Spock Prime tothe in-lawstheEnterprisecrew.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Prime, Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Series: Baby Spock Prime AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569691
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	Give and Take (and take)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [3DBABE1999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/3DBABE1999/gifts).



“Okay, maybe this isn’t such a great idea after all.” Spock hasn’t touched his food in favor of talking incessantly without a single break.

Jim keeps eating his soup as his lover rambles. Jim knows well enough that it’s what the younger man does when he’s nervous. Jim finally tries to get a sentence in. “It was gonna happen eventually, Spock.”

“Jim, what if they don’t like me? Or what if you realize you’ve always liked Captain Spock more? And you go back to him and ditch me?” 

Jim silently thinks the chances would be slim even if Jim wasn’t already completely in love with the Spock sitting right in front of him, due to a certain Doctor McCoy in the equation.

Spock pouts. “I’ve never met Captain Spock and I’m jealous already.” He falls silent.

Jim finally looks up in surprise. “Spock?” Spock inches his hand across the kitchen table and Jim immediately presses his hand over Spock’s. “Hey, I understand why you feel jealous. But you know I only want you, right?”

“I know. I just like hearing you say it.” The flow of information through their half-formed bond belies Spock’s reassurance. He still doubts.

The trust of such information breaks Jim’s heart. He rises from where he sits to lean over and press his mouth to Spock’s, hot and heavy and demanding. By the time he’s done, he’s left Spock dazed. Jim smirks. “Convincing enough? Or do you need more?”

Spock slides his hands into Jim’s hair. “Mmmm, maybe I need a little more convincing.” He sticks his tongue out.

Jim pulls off Spock’s hands sits back down. “Finish eating. Then I’ll see what I can do about it.”

Spock makes an unsatisfied noise and pushes the _plomeek_ soup at Jim. “I’ll finish if you reheat it for me.”

Spock keeps playing with his new gloves as the shuttle transports them into the _Enterprise_ , smoothly landing in the chamber. Jim has to admit, he’s feeling nervous himself. He had requested they keep his return visit discreet, but he hasn’t explained why. 

The pilot gives them the signal that it is safe to exit, and Jim descends first, coming face to face with Captain Spock and Bones. Jim refuses to let his voice tremble. “Permission to board?”

“Permission granted, Jim.” The captain's sharp eyes are almost warm today. Then they slide past Jim and the warmth dissipates. Bones looks at the younger Spock and his eyes widen.

Jim wraps an arm around Spock. “Spock, this is Captain Spock of the _Enterprise_ and Chief Medical Officer Doctor McCoy.” Jim tilts his chin up in defiance. “Captain, Bones, I want you to meet my boyfriend.”

No response. 

Jim has been dreading this moment of recognition ever since he knew he'd have to introduce Spock to his old crew. Captain Spock is still frozen. Bones very forcefully maintains a neutral tone of voice. “Jim?” Jim tightens the hand on Spock's hip. The doctor notices the gesture. He sighs and turns to the younger Vulcan. “It's nice to meet you, Spock.”

Spock relaxes and smiles, oblivious to the tension in the air. “Oh, I didn't realize Jim told you about me already.” Bones doesn't correct him. “It's nice to meet you too, Doctor.” Spock grins and holds his hand out.

Bones flinches almost imperceptibly as Captain Spock's eyes grow wide. Jim yanks Spock's gloved hand back as Bones demands, “You think you're funny, kid?”

Spock's voice is hesitant. “Sure?”

“He's Terran born,” Jim says hastily. 

“Well, I'll be.” Bones looks him up and down. “How old are you again?”

“Twenty standard years,” Spock answers cheerfully.

“ _Twenty?_ ”

Jim intervenes. “Spock, you’ve always been interested in what a starship looks like right?” 

“Uh? Yeah. You’ll show me around?”

“How about Captain Spock gives you a tour while I catch up with Bones?” Jim nudges Spock towards the stiff-backed captain.

Spock huffs out a laugh. “You talk to each other every other day, Jim.”

“Bye, have fun!” Jim rapidly moves Bones out of half-Vulcan hearing range. 

Bones still looks dismayed. “Good god, Jim. Twenty? I thought he looked young, but I didn't think he was that young!”

Jim can’t help looking slightly sheepish. 

“This is why, huh? Why you started acting all weird and contacted me again two years ago.” Bones crosses his arms. “When did you two even meet?”

Jim hears the unasked question. _How old was he?_ He can't lie to Bones, even about this. He says weakly, “He crashed in my backyard three years ago. I think he was about fourteen at that time.”

Silence drags out. 

Bones pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don't hear you assuring me you waited until he was of age, so I'm not gonna ask.”

Jim can't find the words to respond. Bones sighs and lowers his hand. “He looks happy, Jim. Both of you do. Just - ”

He doesn't finish the sentence. Jim doesn't expect him to.

“Captain, c’mon! Stop lagging behind already.”

“It is illogical to rush.”

The younger Vulcan turns back to pout at Spock. “Geez. You’re just as much fun as Doctor McGrumpy back there.”

“I request you refrain from addressing my husband in that manner.”

“Oh, my bad, Captain.” The younger Vulcan’s eyes slide down to look at Spock’s left hand, neatly manicured and void of a ring. He grins at Spock. “The ring didn’t fit, huh?”

Spock does not mention the carefully crafted metal bands in their private quarters. “We chose to engage in a Vulcan ceremony.”

“Vulcan?” The younger Vulcan perks up. “I’ve never seen a Vulcan wedding before. Actually, I haven’t seen any weddings before, but you know what I mean.” He rubs gingerly at a viewing portal with his sleeve before peering down at the maintenance gallery that could be seen below.

The gesture reminds Spock immediately of how his mother used to clean the bottom panels of her kitchen window with her sleeve, despite there being no dust and despite the kitchen towel being right within grasp. 

Spock finds himself asking, “The alternate reality you have arrived from, do you regret leaving it behind?”

The younger Vulcan freezes. He turns to fully face him. “Wow. You don't pull any punches, do you, Cap?”

Spock finds himself unconsciously clenching his fists as if to ground himself against the barrage of human nonsense spouting from this young Vulcan's mouth.

“To answer your question - I’m here now, right? Not there.” His younger counterpart squares his shoulders and grins. “I’d rather look forward, not back.”

They’re the exact same words Spock’s mother had said when Spock had asked her if she regretted leaving Earth to live on Vulcan.

The words have left Spock’s mouth before he even realizes it. “I believe you would find an occupation in Starfleet to be a fulfilling and satisfying career. Would you be interested in considering an application?”

Jim shouldn't be pissed by what Captain Spock did, but he is. “Could you _please_ explain why you’re trying to recruit him?”

Captain Spock straightens his back. “He is not yours. He may make any decision he so desires.”

“Okay, lovebirds,” Bones interrupts, striding into the captain’s lounge to join them. “That’s enough arguing.” He sets down a tray of three mugs and passes one to Spock, who accepts with a small smile and brush of fingers. Bones gazes back, overflowing with affection.

Jim scowls and leans further back in his sofa chair. “Sorry, _Captain_ , but Spock doesn’t want to join Starfleet.”

“D’ya know that for sure?” Jim whips his head to look at Bones with a betrayed expression. Bones shrugs. “Have you ever asked him?”

Jim grinds his teeth, then sighs. He says reluctantly, “Not really.”

Bones looks away with that infuriating, knowing quirk of an eyebrow.

Spock holds his tea between two hands. He speaks again, and his voice is soft. “He reminds me of Amanda.”

Bones blinks. Jim feels a chill. Even when they had been intimate, Jim had never heard Spock talk about his mother even once.

“I had always found Ambassador Spock difficult to interact with, but I find myself wishing to mentor my younger self. I wonder if the ambassador felt the same way about myself.” Spock makes eye contact with Jim. “My offer still stands. I believe Starfleet would be good for him.”

Jim groans and stands, tea untouched. “I told Spock to meet me in the mess hall, so I should go. You two have fun.”

The moment Jim enters the mess hall, he is intercepted by a hug.

“Jim! You didn't say you'd be visiting!” Jim can’t help grinning as Uhura leans back from the hug with a wide smile. “I am _insulted_ that I wasn't informed.”

“Hi to you, too. You look good.”

“Flatterer.”

Jim looks up to see Spock walking over, and holds his hand out to him. “Hey, sweetheart, sorry I’m a little late.” Jim looks back at Uhura, who is looking on curiously. 

“Hi, Jim,” Spock greets him, but he’s distracted. “Um. Hello.” Spock is slightly starry-eyed looking at Uhura. Jim can't blame him. Uhura has that effect on people.

Jim turns back to Uhura. “Uhura, this is my boyfriend. Spock, meet the finest Chief Communications Officer of the ‘fleet.”

Uhura falters hearing his name, but she quickly collects herself. “You're with Jim?”

“I am.” Spock smiles that irresistible smile and Jim watches Uhura practically melt.

“Oh my god, you’re fucking adorable.” Jim has to resist the instinct to react drastically when Uhura pokes Spock’s arm and Spock giggles.

“So you manage _all_ the ship’s transmissions?” Spock moves closer to Uhura. “That's amazing.” 

“You're such a sweetheart,” Uhura laughs. 

“I almost failed Linguistics, I had no clue what I was doing the entire time. Philology was fun but I was terrible at it.”

Uhura raises her eyebrows, clearly pleased. “If you’re interested in philology, there’s this really interesting book that I have. I think you’d like it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I’m off shift now. Let’s go to my quarters. I’ll show you the rest of my personal collection, too.” Uhura loops her arm around Spock’s, who goes willingly.

Jim begins, “Uhura, you-”

“Uh-uh, cowboy. Girl’s night. Back off, he’s mine for now.” Uhura winks. “I'll return him in one piece, more or less, m'kay?”

Spock tilts his head. “See you tomorrow, Jim?”

Jim blows out a breath. Why is he getting so worked up about this? This isn't like him. “Uh - yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Uhura makes a noise of satisfaction and walks away with Spock in her grasp.

Uhura opens the door. “Hey, lover boy. You’re up early.”

“Where’s Spock?” Jim looks around the living area and kitchen, which is filled with frying sounds and the smell of potato.

“He’s still asleep.” Uhura waves Jim in a general direction, returning her attention to her pan.  
  
Jim leans on the doorway and blinks at the sight of Spock in one of Uhura’s soft pink sleep shirts. He is sleeping on a couch next to the bed, wrapped in thick blankets. 

Then Jim notices Spock’s nails have been painted black. The sudden image of Spock letting Uhura hold his bare hands flashes in Jim’s mind.

Jim stomps back to Uhura. “You offered him a manicure?” he says flatly.

Uhura’s smirk widens. “You'd better watch this one, Mr. Kirk, or else I might steal him for myself.”

Jim glares. “Ha, ha. Hilarious.”

Uhura nudges him. “Oh my god, loosen up, Ex-Captain. Damn. You've gotten codgy.”

“Captain?” Jim rushes onto the bridge, harried. He stands next to the captain’s chair, where Spock sits with eyebrows raised. Jim lowers his voice. “Captain, do you know where Spock is?”

“Was he not with Nyota this morning?”

“He was, and now he’s gone. Uhura doesn’t know where he went. Bones!” Jim grabs the startled doctor as he walks through the turbolift doors. “Do you know where Spock is?” Jim repeats.

Bones adjusts something on his PADD. “I think your boy went and met trouble, Jim.”

Jim wants to groan loudly. “Does trouble by any chance have curly hair and a Russian accent?”

“Oh my god. Spock!” Jim stares up into the rafters where Spock is balancing in a precarious location. “What the hell! Do you have a death wish?”

“Oh, morning, Jim! Don’t mind us. Just trying to break the laws of physics up here.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Kirk,” Chekov calls down cheerfully. Jim didn’t even notice the curly-haired navigator sitting close to Spock, a PADD clutched in one hand and a wire in the other. “It is structurally sound and wery safe.”

“Safe,” Jim echoes in disbelief.

Spock beams down at Jim. “We were talking about the academy. Apparently we had all of the exact same professors. Crazy, right? We could’ve been doing homework together!”

Jim resists the overwhelming urge to grab his lover and deposit him on the ground, or in a locked room where he wouldn't be in immediate danger of snapping his neck.

“I am sure you would be an excellent friend to copy homework off of,” Chekov says with a laugh. He doesn’t seem to notice Jim’s death glare.

Spock leans towards Chekov. “Oh my gosh, hell no. You should’ve seen my grade in Linguistics.”

Chekov laughs. Jim narrows his eyes, displeased.

Spock frowns down at Jim, as if surprised he’s still there. “Did you need something, Jim?”

“Oh. Oh, no. I was just wondering if you wanted to get lunch or not.” Jim suddenly feels like he’s in high school again, stuttering and trying to ask someone out on a date.

“Sorry, I already promised to meet Sulu for lunch. And I was gonna hang out with Scotty again after that. Maybe see you at dinner?”

“Scotty? Since when did you have time to talk to Scotty?”

“Uhura painted his nails, too. We’re all matching now.”

“. . . I see.”

Spock isn’t answering his comm texts at dinnertime - okay, well maybe it’s a little early for dinner - but Jim is tired of being ignored. He considers waiting at their room.

Jim sighs and goes looking for Spock. Predictably, he isn’t alone. He’s with Bones this time.

They’re in the communal kitchen, which is typically abandoned and spotless. They’re huddled over a large bowl, and Bones is stirring as he talks expressively about something. Spock listens to him, completely enraptured.

Jim has to shake his head as he walks closer. Spock has managed to make even the wary doctor warm up to him considerably. “What are you two doing?”

Spock looks up with surprised smile. “Bones is showing me his heirloom cornbread recipe,” he says excitedly.

Jim internally recoils at hearing his lover using Jim’s own nickname for the doctor. He turns on Bones. “You’re letting him call you that? How come you hated when _I_ first started using it?”

Bones points the spoon at him. “Don’t be childish. Oh, hey, hon.” 

Jim looks behind him to see Captain Spock walking into the communal kitchen. The captain looks back and forth at the scene before him, his eyebrow raising higher and higher.

Jim still feels irritated and turns back on Bones again. “Of all things, why would you make him cornbread?”

“He must be educated,” Bones says solemnly, and Spock snorts.

“No one likes cornbread, Bones. Accept it.”

“Blasphemy, Jim,” Spock teases. 

“Preach it, kid. This one actually has taste, unlike you heathens.” Bones drags his tongue up the spoon to Spock’s great amusement. Jim fights the half-horrified half-incredulous look twisting his face. 

His former chief medical officer is fucking flirting with his boyfriend. 

He has to bite his lip to quell the loud complaint about to rise out of him. Captain Spock is less subtle. He walks over and wraps his hand around his husband’s wrist. “A word with you, Leonard.”

Bones is smirking as Captain Spock drags him away. Spock waggles his eyebrows at Jim. “You gonna drag me off, too?”

Jim wants to. He settles for scoffing loudly. “Please. I’m classier than that.”

“Good. I need to finish making this.” Spock is already pouring batter into a cast-iron skillet, intently focused on his task.

“Oh okay. Have you eaten yet?” 

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Jim hesitates. “Then I’ll be in our room.”

“Mm? Yeah, sure.”

“See you later.” No reply. Jim awkwardly leaves the kitchen, the smell of cornmeal wafting after him.

Jim sits up from the bed and drops his PADD the moment he hears the doors slide open. Spock’s looking at something on his own PADD, trying to remove his shoes. “Hey, I’m back.”

“Hey. You had fun?”

Spock murmurs in response. His distracted reaction is nothing new, but it’s the last straw. Jim finds himself on the floor standing in front of Spock in an instant.

Spock finally looks at Jim in slight confusion. Jim pulls the PADD away and shoves it out of reach. He pushes the taller man backwards onto the bed and clambers on top of him, pressing his face and body down into him.

Spock snorts. “What's this all about?”

Jim nuzzles at the side of Spock’s face. “Your old man’s lonely.”

“Is he?” Spock acquiesces to his face being tilted for a kiss.

Jim inhales his sweet-tart scent. “Your curfew is twenty two hundred hours on the dot. You're not allowed to wear anyone else's clothing except for mine. Also? You’re banned from flirting. Forever.”

Spock laughs. “You being serious, old man?”

Jim bites him lightly on the side of his neck and feels a spark of satisfaction when Spock shudders and goes lax under him. “Of course I'm not serious. Just had to get that out of my system.”

Spock rests his head on the mattress and looks up with a smile. “I’m glad I like your friends, Jim.”

“As long as you like me more than them.”

Spock laughs again, ducking his head, and Jim's chest flutters at the gorgeous sight. He wishes he was joking.

“Okay, let me up, seriously.” Spock tries to wiggle out from under Jim, sending heat straight to his groin. “I was looking up a recipe Uhura recommended. It’s already past dinnertime.” 

Jim presses back down into Spock, dragging his hands up under Spock’s shirt. “It can wait.”

Much, much later, they end up just replicating dinner.


End file.
